Klara Lewis - Too _(Editions Mego, 2016)-
It is hard to imagine another artist with whom “growing” is so beautiful. The big steps Klara Lewis has taken since ‘Ett’ and ‘Msuic’ are enviable. Too’ is reminiscent of nothing. The bricolage of randomly found sounds on ‘Ett’ were mere sketches in comparison. The lines are clearer. The atmosphere more exciting. The technique much better. Klara Lewis creates hermetic and idiosyncratic sound sculptures, little elegies that respond to the listener’s imagination like meditative, melancholic sound poems. Bold and challenging sonics in which the songs are relatively short. As if a time limit had been set for each chapter. A magnetic tape that determines the length. Except for “Beaming”, a zapping sound collage of short, noisy sound fragments: voices, chaos, white noise, which gets the longest playing time. The rhythms are vague and nervous. The sounds are abstract, an interplay of harsh, austere, industrial elements and a shimmer of optimism. Too” is nevertheless a deep black beauty. Just like the title track, which chirps through the record like abrasive metal on metal. Frank and aggressive. Brutal even. A sound almost unthinkable, but something she already tried on “Msuic 1”. Biting. The way the songs flow into each other. Cursing against each other. Suddenly invading. Striking. And then immediately wading into their own atmosphere. Deep. The closing track “Us” breaks the intoxication. If such a thing is possible. A harsh, echoing drum versus husky vocals. A mood breaker that abruptly ends the listening session. A game breaker that leaves you hungry, but also makes it clear that there might be an end. An end to the sonic world of “Too”, because otherwise it is too addictive.
Released on Editions Mego,